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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27293809">Fear the Old Blood</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pra370r1an/pseuds/Pra370r1an'>Pra370r1an</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bloodborne (Video Game), The Owl House (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blood, bloodborne au, duh - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:21:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,876</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27293809</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pra370r1an/pseuds/Pra370r1an</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Luz Noceda has suffered from a horrible disease all her life, but the mysterious city of Yharnam claims to be able to cure any ailment. Can she stomach the cost?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Luz Noceda becomes a Hunter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Bloodborne AU. Will be Blood. Duh. </p><p>I'm thinking this will be unrelated stories of our favorite characters</p><p>Oh and Happy Halloween</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“You're sure to be in a fine haze about now, but don't think too hard about all of this. Just go out and kill a few beasts. It's for your own good. You know, it's just what hunters do! You'll get used to it..." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>– Gehrman The First Hunter</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“So, that’s the gist. Have you heard of it before?” Luz looked at the man before her.</p><p>“Ah yes… Paleblood… A simple manner for us,” The man sat back in his wheelchair nodding his head.</p><p>“So… You can cure me?” Luz asked hopefully.</p><p>The man nodded again, “Easily, we just have to minister some Yharnam blood. However…” He stared at Luz from under his large hat, and once again Luz shrunk back nervously. Wondering how he could watch her so closely with bandages wrapped around his eyes. “There is the matter of payment…”</p><p>“Please sir! I-I don’t have much money, or whatever this city uses, but I really need this!”</p><p>“Settle down young lady,” the man waved his hand, before handing a clipboard to Luz. “Yharnam is the city of blood ministration, the only city. All kinds come here for treatment, and the Healing Church wants all to be well.”</p><p>“This is a contract?” Luz looked over the document. “To hunt…beasts?”</p><p>“For the… Less fortunate patients. Doing some much-needed public service is preferable to spending the rest of your life in debt, wouldn’t you agree?”</p><p>Luz thought about her short time in the city so far, the number of coffins was staggering. “Isn’t it dangerous?” she asked, remembering a man in church robes passing her wielding an axe from the other day.</p><p>“Perhaps, but would you rather waste away as you have been? Or face life on your own terms.” The man wheeled around where she sat slowly, never taking his eyes off of her. Luz stared at the paper for a minute before taking the pen and signing her name at the bottom.</p><p>“Excellent, now lay back,” The minister took the clipboard, storing it on his wheelchair before turning to his equipment.</p><p>Luz laid down on the operating bed looking back at the man, “Wait, how will I hunt? I don’t have any weapons.”</p><p>“Don’t worry, the church provides weapons for newer hunters such as yourself,” He wheeled back to Luz. From her new position the man towered over her, an IV needle in his hands. “Now let’s begin. Oh, don’t you worry…”</p><p>He slid the IV into her arm.</p><p>“Whatever happens…”</p><p>Luz’s vision started to blur.</p><p>“You may think it all a bad dream…”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“PLEASE BE A DREAM! PLEASE BE A DREAM! PLEASE BE A DREAM!” Luz yelled as she ran. A growl came from behind her and she heard the footsteps following her cease. Acting on instinct she threw herself flat on the floor as a werewolf looking creature flew over her, missing its pounce.</p><p>Luz bounced back up and continued running, hearing the creature continue the chase. She turned a corner, gaining ground as the beast slid and crashed into the dead end. She looked around wildly at the narrow passage she was in, searching for any possible escape.</p><p>Ahead of her she spotted a half-closed door. She dove inside shoving the door closed. Luz grabbed a nearby crate and pulled it, with great difficulty, over to the door. She got it in front just as the door shuddered from an impact.</p><p>Luz took a step back huffing, watching the door shudder again. When it was clear the beast wouldn’t get through right away, she stopped to take stock. She still had her blunderbuss, but her whip cane thing had got caught in the narrow passage when she tried to face the creature.</p><p>Luz shook her head as the door shook again, “I am so screwed.”</p><p>“You can say that again. What’s chasing you anyway?”</p><p>Luz spun around brandishing her blunderbuss. She didn’t see anyone in the spacious room before looking up at a ledge a couple of feet above her head. There a mature woman sat, almost lounging, on the edge. Her bright red and black dress and coat with the white ruffles in stark contrast to the dull room, the whole ensemble gave an archaic aristocratic look.  A long elegant pistol rested in her hand upon her knee, as she took a sip out of a vial the city inhabitants seem to drink from. Her wild gray hair spilled down her back and moved as she looked to towards her companion.</p><p>“Probably something big. A full-grown scourge beast always makes those foreigners run scared!” Someone in what looked like knight armor stood next to her, wiping the blade of a rapier off with a rag. His helmet was silver and a rent ran from the top to just above his cheek, revealing an amused eye which regarded Luz below him. He stopped and gestured with his odd-looking rapier, “She’ll probably die once that door breaks.”</p><p>“Now you don’t know that, she looks kind of capable.” The woman gestured down with her gun, “I bet she surprises us.”</p><p>“Hey wait…” Luz started.</p><p>“You’re on!” the slightly, high pitched male voice said back.</p><p>“Aren’t you going to help!?” Luz yelled. Just then the door burst into splinters, the wolf picked itself out of the debris and turned towards the girl.</p><p>“Nope!” The man called with way too much glee.</p><p>“Yea, how are you going to learn otherwise?” The woman took another drink, watching as Luz dodged a swipe.</p><p>Luz ducked another swipe before shoving her blunderbuss into it’s hide. She pulled the trigger sending it flying a few feet away. Luz dared to hope for a second before the beast got up shaking its head.</p><p>“Where’s your trick weapon foreigner?” the man called.</p><p>“I lost it!” Luz yelled diving out of another attack. “Don’t suppose I could borrow one…?”</p><p>“Fat chance!” the man laughed before stopping as something clattered to the floor.</p><p>“Oops?” The woman asked sarcastically, “Dropped something.” She pointed below her. Luz recognized the bloody form of a Saw Cleaver, one of the choices for free weapons that she passed over. But now it was like the most beautiful things she’s ever seen. Now if only the beast wasn’t between her and it.</p><p>“Oh, come on! You can’t do that!”</p><p>“Shut up! How can we see her stuff if she has no weapon?”</p><p>Luz shut out the two’s bickering as she concentrated on not dying. She needed a plan fast. As much as she dodged the beast was slowly cornering her. The beast slowly approached before crouching down. Luz recognized the stance but instead of dodging out of the way she ran towards it. The beast pounced at her as she dropped into a slide underneath. She held her blunderbuss up, and as the beast soared over, she squeezed the trigger. The beast was thrown up and over, Allowing Luz to sprint up and grab the saw. </p><p>“Ok that was a bit impressive,” She heard the man say as she sprinted back.</p><p>The beast was still struggling to get back up, the several wounds seeming to take its toll, when Luz brought her weapon down. She let loose on the beast, hacking and slashing till it stilled. All of her frustrations for the day expended.</p><p>Soft clapping reached her ears, “There see, she lived.” Almost all her frustration.</p><p>Luz turned around glaring up at the two. The man was in the process of handing over two vials to the woman. “Yea it was a bit impressive…for a foreigner.”</p><p>“Hey! What the heck was that!?” Luz came over to stand in front of them. “You couldn’t’ve helped!?”</p><p>“I gave you the saw, didn’t I?” the woman asked innocently.</p><p>“Yea we could have just watched you die!”</p><p>Luz pointed a finger at the man, “You wanted to watch me die!”</p><p>“This is how hunter’s learn kid. You have to kill the beasts,” The woman said with a wave of her hand.</p><p>“Well a little warning would be nice!”</p><p>The man raised his rapier and a barrel flipped open along the top. He aimed at Luz.</p><p>Luz’s anger grew, “What? Are you going to shoot me, after all that!?”</p><p>“Kid, behind you,” The woman simply stated.</p><p>Luz felt hot breath on her neck, as something sniffed her. A low growl sounded and Luz moved on instinct. She dropped down and turned bringing her sawblade around. A half-transformed person raised a sickle to strike in it’s too gangly arm. Faintly Luz heard a gunshot sound behind her, the bullet struck the beast who stumbled just as Luz brought her weapon around.</p><p>Through a haze of anger, she realized her saw was missing as her hand, looking more like a claw, smashed through the creature’s chest. The beast looked in surprise at Luz, who stared back before looking down and ripping her hand out. A spray of blood covered Luz, who took a couple steps back her anger forgotten. She looked at herself, covered in blood, sawblade back in her hand, and saw the beast try to struggle from the floor before falling back down.</p><p>“That was pretty impressive kid.” The woman called, “Here. For your troubles.” She tossed one of the glass vials to Luz who nearly fumbled the catch. She examined the crimson liquid swirling inside.</p><p>“I have a name you know,” she turned back towards the strangers. “Luz. Luz Noceda.”</p><p>“What kind of foreign name is that?” the man said flicking the barrel back into the blade.</p><p>“It means light,” she said self-consciously.</p><p>The man and woman stopped and looked at each other before breaking out laughing.</p><p>“What?!” Luz asked.</p><p>“Ah-ah it just figures, you know? With your scent?” The man said between laughter.</p><p>“Yea…yea. Don’t worry about it, Moonlight!” The woman and man broke into laughter again.</p><p>“Hey! You can’t give me a nickname! I don’t even know who you are!”</p><p>“Oh, right right. I guess after that show you deserve an introduction.” The woman stood up dramatically, one hand on a sheathed sword while the other was raised above her. “I am Edalyn Clawthorne! The most powerful Hunter in Yharnam! But my friends call me Eda. And this is my associate-”</p><p>“You peasant, may call me King!” King flourished to himself with an air of pomposity.</p><p>Eda’s hand smacked her face, “We’ve been over this, you’re not an actual king.”</p><p>“But I married the queen!” He said in a petulant voice, “There was a ceremony, and I drank her blood and everything!”</p><p>“We all did that King! Hell, by that standards I married the queen!”</p><p>Luz gasped, “So that makes you a queen too!”</p><p>“Hey I don’t want to share her with you Eda!”</p><p>Eda groaned into her hand, “UGH for the last time, not that I wouldn’t mind it, but nobody married the queen. The queen is single. I will call you King but please stop saying that.”</p><p>“Fine,” King looked away. “I can tell when people don’t accept our love…”</p><p>“Wait, so you’re the best hunter in Yharnam?” Luz asked suddenly.</p><p>“Well I don’t like to brag…” Eda stood a little straighter and adjusted her overcoat.</p><p>“All you do is brag!” King said, making Eda give him a glare.</p><p>“Look,” Luz started, “I need help. I am way over my head. If you could train me maybe I could last more than a day.”</p><p>“What’s in it for us?”</p><p>“Well I don’t have much money but I could work it off, do tasks, clean, cook? I can cook a mean dinner.”</p><p>“You can!?” King yelled, “I say we do it! She can make us snacks.”</p><p>“Hey my cooking’s not that bad!”</p><p>“HA!” King looked to Luz, “She never cooked till we left Cainhurst, the servants took care of that there.”</p><p>“Alright, alright. Everyone’s a critic. Look you can come with us but you need to change.”</p><p>“Oh, yea I am a bit bloody… But I don’t have a change of clothes” Luz examined herself, readjusting her suspenders.</p><p>“Don’t worry about that. I just don’t want people to know I’m helping a foreigner, I have a reputation you know. Besides we have a spare outfit for you…”</p><p>“We do?” King asked. Eda gave him a pointed look before nodding her head towards the back of the platform. King looked that way, then back to Luz with amusement in his eye. “Oh… Yea we do…”</p><p>He moved towards the back, “Well I don’t care, as long as I can get out of this blood-soaked outfit.” Luz said.</p><p>King returned carrying a bundle which he unceremoniously dropped in front of Luz. The body hit the ground with a sickening thud.</p><p>“Uhh… What is that?” Luz pointed towards the even more blood-soaked body.</p><p>“That’s your new outfit, Moonlight,” Eda smugly said.</p><p>With a defeated sigh Luz started stripping the body, pulling the tough leather outfit off the corpse. She changed her shirt and threw the overcoat around her shoulders, “Fits alright. Guess your friend won’t need it now.”</p><p>King started laughing, “Eda! She thinks we were friends!”</p><p>“Yea,” Eda’s smile fell, “we were not friends.”</p><p>“Right,” Luz said pulling on the last boot, “Well I’m even bloodier now, somehow. Can we get out of these sewers?”</p><p>“Right, Moonlights wasting,” Eda snickered before climbing onto a nearby ladder. “Let’s go!”</p><p>“Come on Luz! Get up here and let’s go!” King called as he followed Eda up the ladder.</p><p>“Right!” Luz looked to either side, “Wait, how do I get up to that platform!? Guys!?”</p><p>“Hello!?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Luz Noceda</p><p>
  
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Eda Clawthorne</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>King</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Willow and Gus as Old Yharnam burns</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Powder Kegs Willow and Gus face a long night...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“The red moon hangs low, and beasts rule the streets. Are we left no other choice, than to burn it all to cinders?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>A woman carrying a child sprinted out of her home in terror. A bestial roar echoing behind her, the thing that had been her husband appearing at the door. Her husband, who had been plagued with Ashen Blood, had changed at some point. So much so that when she went to change the bandages on his sores, she discovered a beast in her husband’s attire.</p><p>She dashed down an alleyway, coming out on another street skidding to a stop. Two scourge beasts turned to regard her hungrily, sniffing the air. The woman glanced back down the alleyway seeing her husband’s new hulking form slowly shuffling towards them.</p><p>“Mommy?” the child asked in a small voice, staring wide eyed at the two beasts before them.</p><p>“Shh, it’s ok,” The woman comforted her child, pulling their head back towards her own body. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” She slowly started moving to the side, the beasts matching her movements.</p><p>She was now away from the alleyway but was trapped between the buildings and the beasts. She moved slowly towards the door to the building, never taking her eyes off the beasts. Yellow bloodshot eyes watched her warily as she reached out and tried the doorknob. Locked.</p><p>A growl came from the side as her deformed husband limped out of the alleyway, his bandages hanging off his sharp claws and bestial snout. One of the other beast’s lips curled back revealing bloody fangs as it took a step towards the woman.</p><p>“It’s going to be ok,” the woman said, as much to herself as to her child. She tensed up ready to run at any moment. She was determined to make the beasts next meal one they would have to work for.</p><p>“Hey!” a voice shouted, “Get away from her!” A dark-skinned man in hunter garb appeared on the other side of the street, charging the beasts. He swung a spear at the beast on the end, drawing blood and a wounded roar.</p><p>“Run!” he shouted at the woman as he dodged a lunge by the other beast.  She took off, taking advantage of the opening, heading towards the glow in the distance.</p><p>The man dodged back and forth between the beast’s claws, distracting them from the woman. He cut one beast with his spear before bringing it around at a beast in mid leap. The blade on the spear dropped lower, revealing a gun barrel which shot gunned the beast out of the air. The man could almost swear he saw a look of surprise from the beast.</p><p>A claw slicing his back cut his celebration short as the bandaged beast roared at him. He retreated from the hulking beast, as the other two got back to their feet on its flanks. He was now in the exact same situation as the woman, backed against the buildings with beasts advancing on him. He removed a blood vial from a pocket and violently injecting it into his leg. He felt his wounds slowly mend themselves closed as the familiar feeling of euphoria hit.</p><p>The man held his spear out at the beasts, then smirked.</p><p>“You can help anytime Willow.”</p><p>“Hey, you’re the one who made these things so heavy Gus,” a feminine voice said behind the beasts. The beasts turned and snarled at this new threat, before an enormous <strong>BOOM</strong> evaporated one of the smaller beasts.</p><p>“I mean a cannon really?” A loud thunk was heard as the bespectacled hunter dropped the large barrel. “I know I work out but shooting that thing can not be good for my back.”</p><p>“Hey, you can criticize my weapons later,” Gus said as one beast turned back towards him and charged. He dodged and attacked with his spear, now infinitely easier without the other beasts.</p><p>Willow dueled with the bandaged beast, slicing at it with a metallic blade attached to a device on her arm. The beast swung wildly at her keeping her at bay, away from the short reach of her weapon. A claw came dangerously close, narrowly missing though slicing into her coat. Willow leapt away examining the cut before turning back towards the bandaged beast as it growled at her. Willow snarled back at the beast and dove back into combat.</p><p>Gus danced with his opponent, much too fast for the scourge beast. It roared in anger as Gus sliced his rifle spear across its back again. It once again leapt at Gus; claws outstretched.</p><p>Gus simply smirked as the rifle barked once again. The beast fell out of the air onto it’s back, looking up as Gus brought his spear down, skewering the beast.</p><p>“Dumb beast,” he chuckled “they never learn.” He glanced back at Willow watching her darting back and forth out of the bandaged beast’s claws. “You got this Willow?”</p><p>“Some help would be appreciated Gus,” Willow answered out of breath.</p><p>“Sorry!” Gus sliced at the beasts back before darting away as it turned its attention on him. “You should try the thing though!”</p><p>Willow took the opportunity to take a blood vial, immediately feeling better afterwards. She looked at the weapon attached to her arm. “Are you sure? Didn’t the prototype destroy the dummy it was on?”</p><p>“That…” Gus ducked a swipe, dancing away just out of reach. “That was like 3 prototypes ago Willow! Come on, you agreed to do the field test! This is the perfect opportunity!”</p><p>“Fine,” Willow groaned, twisting her arm like Gus had shown her. The blade of her weapon retracted partially into the device with a loud clang.</p><p>“And if it does take off your arm, I can probably make you a new one!”</p><p>“That’s not helping Gus! Now hurry up and bring it over here before I change my mind!” Willow crouched into a combat stance watching as Gus started leading the slow beast back towards her.</p><p>Gus dodged the beast’s swipes and left smaller cuts, keeping its attention as Willow circled behind. She darted right behind it and wound up her arm.</p><p>“Hey!” She shouted to get the beast’s attention as Gus ducked out of the line of fire. The bandaged beast turned and growled at the young hunter, so close she could see how bloodshot its yellow eyes were.</p><p>“Go to Hell,” Willow swung her arm like a boxer at the beast. The tip of the blade hit its chest before the firing mechanism engaged. With an enormous <strong>BOOM</strong> and accompanying fire blast the blade shot out to its full length impaling the beast before the force threw it through the air. With a sick thud, the bandaged beast hit the wall on the other side of the street, unmoving.</p><p>“THAT WAS AWESOME!” Gus cheered. “That was better than I imagined! But I bet if I add a few more grams of gunpowder…”</p><p>“GUS! It’s fine the way it is!” Willow shook her arm, “if you add more then nobody will be able to use it without hurting themselves.”</p><p>“Oh right! Your arm! How is it? Are you alright?” Gus broke from his daydreams and plans to look at Willow in concern.   </p><p>“I’m fine,” Willow waved his concerns away. “Though I think if I do that all the time, I might be sore. Now come on we have to…” Willow turned to leave but stopped in her tracks. Further down, both sides of the street were engulfed in flames. In the distance they saw the figures of hunters and numerous beasts battling.</p><p>“That’s not good…” Gus spoke softly watching as the flames spread to another house.</p><p>“Come on! We have to help!” Willow and Gus sprinted towards the flames as another hunter in singed clothes ran towards them.</p><p>“Willow! Gus! There you are!”</p><p>“Now’s not the time Mattholomule!” Gus said angrily shoving the out of breath hunter aside. He was stopped by Mattholomule grabbing his arm.</p><p>“Stop wait! Orders from Djura!” He panted out. “We need to find any healthy civilians and escort them to the clocktower!”</p><p>“What? Why? What’s happening?” Gus asked with worry.</p><p>“Yeah, shouldn’t we get people across the bridge, away from the fire?” Willow gestured to the blazing inferno.</p><p>Mattholomule shook his head with a grim look. “The Healing Church locked the gate leading out of Old Yharnam. People are shifting faster than we can hunt them. We’re on our own.”</p><p>“What? They can’t…” Willow said in shock, while Gus seemed at a loss for words, gripping his spear tighter.</p><p>“They did. Djura’s hoping his gun will help turn the tide, but we need to save as many people as we can…” Mattholomule squeezed Gus’s shoulder and gave both of them a look. “Good luck out there. And…I’m sorry Gus…” He turned and started heading in a different direction, turning back to shout one last thing. “Pass on the orders if you see any other hunters!”</p><p>Willow and Gus watched Mattholomule run back into the fray, realizing this might be the last night they ever see him.</p><p>“H-he apologized…This is bad Willow…”</p><p>“Hey!” Willow grabbed Gus’s shoulders and turned him to look at her. “The night’s not over. This is bad, but we’re Powder Kegs! We’re better armed than any other hunter group, and no beast will stand up to us!”</p><p>“R-right!” Gus gave a determined look. “We’ll survive this! The night’s not over!”</p><p>“Now, we have a mission,” Willow picked up her cannon from where she laid it when Mattholomule arrived. “And if we save even one person, it’ll be worth it!”</p><p>“Let’s do this!” Gus gripped his spear, and they both charged into the inferno with hope in their hearts.</p><p>But even as Old Yharnam burned, it was now a city of beasts…</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Amity and Boscha, Choir and School of Mensis</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Amity is given a special mission by the head of the Choir</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Some violence, and existential horror. Hope you like Lovecraft</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“As you once did for Vacuous Rom… Grant us Eyes, Grant us Eyes and cleanse us of our Beastly Idiocy…” </em>
</p><p>-Micolash, Leader of the School of Mensis</p><p> </p><p>Amity Blight paced the spacious halls of the Orphanage. She walked with purpose; back straight, her Choir robes free of any wrinkles, crossing under the massive chandelier in the front hall. The only indication of how she felt was her white knuckled grip on her threaded cane.</p><p>Eventually she came to a door and stopped. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door, before opening and stepping in.</p><p>“Ahh, Amity,” the woman seated at the desk greeted her. Even though her eyes were covered by the veil on her hat, Amity could still feel the piercing gaze leveled at her. “Come, sit.” She gestured to the seat in front of the desk.</p><p>“You wanted to see me Vicar?” Amity quickly sat down, shooting a quick glance at the other occupant in the room. A tall man with brown hair stood with his back to the women, hands clasped behind him as he studied a blackboard full of equations.</p><p>“Yes, we have a special mission for you Amity,” the Vicar leaned forward, templing her fingers. “You’re going on a hunt.”</p><p>“I understand. What kind of beast and where is it?” Amity felt relieved. A straightforward hunt was a welcome respite from her usual missions.</p><p>“It’s not a beast,” the man spoke for the first time, not bothering to turn from his calculations.</p><p>Amity was confused, “I don’t… Then what?” She looked from the man back to the Vicar.</p><p>“There have been reports,” the Vicar explained. “Of black clad hunters kidnapping citizens and spiriting them to Yahar’gul.”</p><p>Amity narrowed her eyes in understanding, “The School of Mensis?”</p><p>“Yes, we thought you would be the most suited to send a message…” The Vicar gave a sadistic smile. “Perhaps dealing with this problem will let you See…things clearer…”</p><p>“I understand,” Amity stood up. “I won’t fail you Mother. Father.”</p><p>She nodded at the two before turning and leaving the office.</p><p>She understood. She understood all too well…</p><p> </p><p>Amity descended from the Orphanage into the Cathedral Ward, moving from Oedon Chapel towards the Grand Cathedral. She had an idea where to find her target and she wanted this over with.</p><p>She ascended a side staircase between some buildings. As she reached the top she jumped back as two swords clanged together in an X, blocking her path.</p><p>“Ugh, what do you two want?” She groaned, stepping up once more.</p><p>Two hunters stepped from either corner, one dressed in white and the other in black. They gave Amity an identical smirk.</p><p>“We just noticed our favorite sibling finally came down from that wretched Orphanage,” the woman in white teasingly said.</p><p>“And we just had to come say hi to our favorite hunter, Mittens,” the man in black added on.</p><p>“Edric!” Amity snapped at her older brother, “I told you never call me that in public.”</p><p>“Relax,” Amity’s sister Emira sheathed her sword into the large blade on her back. “Most folks are at Mass or hiding inside from the plague.”</p><p>“Yeah, we just finished our rounds,” Edric shrugged, an incredible feat considering the large stone block strapped on his back. “I’m sure we’ll beat this plague soon!”</p><p>“My brother the genius doctor,” Emira quipped. “All you know is how to smash a beast with that Kirk Hammer.”</p><p>“Like you’re any better with Ludwig’s blade,” Amity shot at her sister.</p><p>Emira gave a dramatic gasp, looking at her younger sister with fake outrage. “We should check her for signs of the beast, with a sharp bite like that.”</p><p>“I’m not in the mood to play doctor with you two,” Amity snapped. “I have to get going.”</p><p>“What’s the rush Mittens?” Edric leaned against the wall.</p><p>“Yeah, what super important mission do you have this time?” Emira leaned close and examined Amity.</p><p>Amity glanced around to make sure they were indeed alone, “The School of Mensis have been kidnapping citizens of Yharnam.”</p><p>“And mother has tasked you with stopping it?” Emira quirked her eyebrow.</p><p>“She’s tasked me with sending a message.”</p><p>“Ahh, of course. And to see if you’ll hunt your oldest friend for the Choir…” Emira narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Amity. “Mother is nothing if not curious.”</p><p>“She hasn’t been my friend in a long time Emira,” Amity glared back. “This is only a simple hunt.”</p><p>“No, it’s a test. You still don’t See, and mother disapproves.”</p><p>Amity raised an eyebrow at the odd choice of words, but before she could question it Edric piped up.</p><p>“This whole thing is rather hypocritical if you ask me,” Edric pulled a stopper from a vial, sipping the crimson liquid inside. He gestured with the vial as he continued the thought, “The Choir takes more ‘Volunteers’ from Yharnam every day. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a child around here…”</p><p>“He’s right Mittens,” Emira stepped back from her sister. “There’s a reason the Choir’s headquarters is called the Orphanage…”</p><p>“That’s different…”</p><p>“Yeah, sure. Good hunting Mittens,” Edric pushed off the wall, oddly grim for once.</p><p>The two stalked into the mist, further into the city. Leaving Amity to the empty streets once again. She stayed there for a second before turning and continuing on her way.</p><p>Amity considered what her siblings had said. They weren’t wrong. She knew the rumors that lower Choir members told each other, where the volunteers would be led into the upper reaches of the Orphanage or the Asylum and wouldn’t be seen again.</p><p>From her interactions with her parents, she’s seen glimpses of her father’s research notes. Amity did not like what they suggested. And her siblings were entrenched in the commonfolk, if they were worried about the citizens then it was a legitimate problem.</p><p>The more she thought on it, the more she felt her parents objected to the School’s use of citizens as a resource was because they felt they were their resource…</p><p>Amity shook her head and continued to the city’s outskirts.</p><p> </p><p>She descended a carved staircase, following a seldom used path. Yharnam proper was behind her, before her was the ostentatious entry into the village of Yahar’gul. Amity approached, her white robes striking a cutting figure through the grey mist. Choir members do not sulk in the dark like the Yahar’gul hunters.</p><p>Speaking of, a hunter stood with their back to Amity in the center of the chamber; upon a raised dais, decked in a black hood and ropes. The hunter was armed with a tonitrus, the mace like weapon lay at ease on their shoulder. Around the room statues stood sentinel.</p><p>Amity caught a familiar scent on the air the same time she heard the hunter sniff. They turned slightly to call back, “Is that my favorite Blight?”</p><p>“Boscha…” Amity tightened her grip on her cane.</p><p>“Amity,” Boscha turned back towards the door, looking up towards the tall ceiling. “Have you come to see the wonders that have arrived in Yahar’gul?”</p><p>“I’ve come to send a message. You and your hunters have played kidnapper for the last time.”</p><p>Boscha turned slowly, coming to face Amity. The iron bars of the hood cast her face in shadow, hiding her reaction, but as she spoke surprise filtered through. “You don’t… See it, do you?”</p><p>Amity’s eyes flicked all around the room, unsure if this was a trick. “See what?”</p><p>Boscha chuckled darkly, “Are the choir truly that far behind us?” She stepped down from the dais, her weapon falling to her side. “I know they are attempting other avenues, but for you to not See?”</p><p>“See What?” Amity held her cane in a defensive stance as the black clad hunter advanced.</p><p>“Oh… It must be your parents…” Boscha now stood a few paces from Amity. “How like them, sheltering you from the Divine.” Boscha gestured behind her with her tonitrus, up and too the right of the door. Where there was nothing.</p><p>Amity glanced at the spot, “There’s nothing there Boscha.” She leveled a glare at her old friend.</p><p>“I assure you there is,” Amity could hear the grin in Boscha’s voice. “Would you like to See?”</p><p>“I am only here to hunt you Boscha. As a warning to your comrades,” Amity took a step forward.</p><p>“To stop our hunt? So, you and yours can bleed Yharnam dry of its people instead?” Boscha laughed. “I’ve seen the effects of your experiments Amity. That is not the way to Divinity…”</p><p>“And you know?” Amity challenged, as she wondered what exactly Boscha saw.</p><p>“Master Micolash teaches us much of what he knows. He sees the way forward for humanity,” She took a step towards Amity. “He could teach you. Plant eyes…” And another, “You could See…” The almost manic tone caused a shiver through Amity’s spine.</p><p>“I already have a mission,” Amity dashed forward swinging her blade. Boscha moved just as fast, blocking with her mace. Boscha raised her offhand, a series of clicking sounding forcing Amity to retreat before a wave of fire flew from the flamesprayer.</p><p>“I am trying to help you Amity,” Boscha slowly circled Amity, now at a respectful distance.</p><p>“I don’t want your help,” Amity copied Boscha’s movements.</p><p>“Too bad,” Boscha jerked her arm and her weapon lit up with electric arcs. The blue arcs danced across the mace head with dangerous intent.</p><p>Boscha rushed forward swinging her mace at Amity. Lightning sparks trailed in the air as Amity ducked under. She stabbed with her cane attempting to catch Boscha’s leg, but the girl quickly jumped over.</p><p>Amity rolled out of the way of another strike, narrowly avoiding the large mace head. She unclipped her Rosemarinus and saturated the area before her in a dangerous silvery mist. Shielding her from Boscha’s view.</p><p>With a growl Boscha was forced to retreat, “Come and fight me coward!”</p><p>Amity chuckled darkly, “If you insist…”</p><p> The sounds of chains were the only warning before Amity’s threaded cane cut through the mist. The razor-sharp whip the cane had transformed into sliced into Boscha’s arm, causing her to cry out.</p><p>The silver mist dissipated as Amity advanced, swinging her whip at Boscha, forcing her to back away. The black clad hunter ducked and weaved between the attacks, on the defensive for the first time. Amity allowed herself a smirk when her whip connected again, ripping some fabric from Boscha’s sleeve.</p><p>Amity’s smirk fell, however, when Boscha ducked another attack and hurtled towards her. Amity raised her Rosemarinus again, spraying in front of her. Boscha hissed as the silver mist burned her, but she had counted on this. Boscha shot a gout of flame with her flamesprayer, the fire burning a path through the mist.</p><p>Amity narrowly avoided the flames and looked up in surprise at Boscha as the girl was suddenly in her face. The mace head slammed into Amity and the electricity shot through her. The force from the current shot her back, throwing her towards the center of the room.</p><p>Amity was struggling to get up when Boscha hit her again with her tonitrus. Amity screamed as the electric current ran through her again, collapsing to the ground spent. She felt Boscha grab her robes and drag her across the ground.</p><p>“W-what are you doing?” Amity asked weakly.</p><p>Boscha half lifted her onto the raised dais in the center of the room, facing the door. She knelt in front of the Choir member, and slowly pulled her helmet off. Amity stared at her former friend in horror.</p><p>It was still the Boscha she remembered, but in the center of her forehead, framed by her red hair, someone had carved the image of an eye. Dried blood still stained her skin around the wound.</p><p>“I told you, I will make you See…” Boscha reverently whispered to Amity. Her face morphed to one of manic glee, eyes wide in anticipation.</p><p>Suddenly, Boscha was up and walking away, gesturing back towards Amity. “This is my friend!” She called out to the ceiling. “She wishes to See! Grant her Eyes!” She raised her arms to the heavens.</p><p>Amity watched in confusion before a sense of discomfort came over her. She blinked several times as something seemed off.</p><p>“Grant her Eyes Great One! Cleanse her of the Beastly Idiocy!”</p><p>Amity grunted as a headache shot through her like an ice pick.</p><p>“Grant her Eyes! Grant her Eyes! Let her See!” Boscha was now yelling in excitement, staring at the ceiling.</p><p>Amity saw something shimmer in the air, like moonlight on a lake. The pain in her forehead grew, and one hand clutched her head in agony.</p><p>“Line her brain with Eyes so she can See!” Boscha was laughing in glee.</p><p>Amity winced as a searing pain shot through her head. Blinking and shaking her head, she watched Boscha open her arms and be picked up into the sky. The shimmer that now surrounded Boscha started to grow solid with each blink.</p><p>“YES! Thank You! Let her See!” Boscha sounded as if in the throes of ecstasy.</p><p>Amity gave a wail, her eyes wide as she <strong><em>Saw</em></strong>.</p><p>Boscha started to glow from where she was held by that horrid creature, the effect reminding Amity of stars in the cosmos. Yelling and praising its divinity, Boscha laughed in rapturous glee then in a flash she was gone.</p><p>Amity lay there, staring at the creature clutching to the ceiling with wide eyes. It was beyond anything she had ever seen.</p><p>The sound of stone scraping the ground broke Amity out of her trance. Below the creature, the great stone door to Yahar’gul slowly slid open. The empty entranceway loomed, dark and foreboding.</p><p>Amity looked between the creature to the entrance and slowly got up. She grabbed her threaded cane and picked up Boscha’s flamesprayer that lay nearby.</p><p>She eyed the creature warily as she approached the door. If the School of Mensis had this creature, then what else did they know?</p><p>Amity had to know. The statues around the room silently judged. For the Choir, she lied.</p><p>Amity limped through the door and down the staircase…</p><p> </p><p>“AMITY!”</p><p>Amity stumbled against some rocks, reaching up she felt it curve and come up to her waist. A well, she knew, in the middle of a graveyard. She didn’t know how she knew.</p><p>“Amity! There you are!”</p><p>“We’ve been looking for you for days!”</p><p>Amity sniffed recognizing the scent of her siblings, as well as the faint smell of incense. Incense and a well, she was outside Oedon Chapel some part of her realized.</p><p>“Gods your robes are dirty. Is this your blood?” Emira asked, touching Amity’s clothes. Examining the dirt and blood that stained the once pristine white.</p><p>“Why are you wearing a blindfold? Did something happen to your eyes?” Edric’s fingers bushed the torn robe fabric on Amity’s face and…</p><p>Panic!</p><p>“NO!!!” Amity slapped her brother’s hand away, turning away from them and balling into herself. “No! I Don’t Want To! Please don’t make me!” She held her arm against her eyes, protecting the fabric.</p><p>The twins were quiet for a moment, Amity could feel them look at each other in concern. How?</p><p>“Amity,” Emira’s voice was low and calming. “What do you not want to do?”</p><p>Amity whispered in fear, “I don’t want to See…” Emira looked up at Edric. How did Amity know this?</p><p>“By the Blood, what happened to her?” Edric asked his sister.</p><p>“I…have an idea,” Emira said close to Amity, but offered no further explanation. “We can’t take her back to our parents like this.”</p><p>“Agreed. But what do we do?” Edric asked but Amity tuned them out.</p><p>She cowered on the ground; the palms of her hands pressed against the fabric over her eyes. She couldn’t see it, but she knew it was there.</p><p>She could <em>FEEL</em> it…</p><p>Up on the wall of the chapel, it was there. Another of those creatures, the kind that erased Boscha, the kind that clutched to the buildings in Yahar’gul in untold numbers. Just over the townspeople’s heads. Unseen but watching.</p><p>Amity didn’t want to know how many clutched to the buildings of Yharnam. But it seems her blindfold only dulled the eyes on her face, not the ones…</p><p>No, she wouldn’t think of that…</p><p>It was insane to even consider…</p><p>But what else explained this…?</p><p>“Come on, Mittens. We’ll take you somewhere safe,” Edric said as him and Emira helped her up. Holding Amity by the arms, they started leading her towards the chapel.</p><p>“No, no, no, no,” Amity whispered in fright. Her head trained on the approaching creature despite the blindfold.</p><p>“I know Amity…” Emira cooed, running a hand through her matted hair. Amity felt her head look up in the same direction before looking away. “Just pay it no mind…” She whispered in her ear.</p><p>How could she with such a creature so close to them?</p><p>They were no divine beings. Spidery, insectoid, limbs extending much too far to hold on the building. Seven arms, six fingers each, talons. Two maybe three stories tall but much too small bodies too hold up all that weight. Nothing like that could exist in nature…</p><p>Amity whimpered as she was half-dragged under it. The creature turned its lopsided, egg shaped head. Many, many, much too many bulbous eyes following the trio from exposed parts of its hairy skull.</p><p>Boscha knew. Emira knows. No doubt her parents are aware.</p><p>But how could people live normal lives knowing this?</p><p>Amity didn’t want to see it. She wouldn’t be able to see it, if she wore her blindfold. That’s what she told herself. The thought rang in her mind on repeat. A silent prayer for the impossible.</p><p>She wouldn’t be able to see it, if she wore her blindfold…</p><p>She wouldn’t be able to see it…</p><p>…shouldn’t be able to see…</p><p>Why Could She <strong><em>SEE IT</em></strong><em>…</em>?!</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Grant us Eyes...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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